Spirit vs. Guelph Storm - 1.26.08

[donjohnson]

Monster game tonight...I would assume that Watson is telling the team how important the game is tonight. I would expect Daniels in net and a playoff-style atmosphere.

DonJohnson's key to the game is hitting. We need to get back to our flying around the ice hitting everything in the neutral zone and on the forecheck. Lately it seems like we're not initiating the hitting and we're not setting the tone, especially at home. Hopefully the team puts on a good show for the fans...i'd expect at least 4000 tonight because, let's face it, who really has something to do tonight in Saginaw.

[mievl]

donjohnson said:

let's face it, who really has something to do tonight in Saginaw.

hey, i think john rambo might have something to say about that all kidding aside, lets hope the spirit draw "first blood"......... uhm, im sorry. that was a stretch.

[aj0512]

2-2 tie with 10:13 to go in the 3rd. Ryan McDonough just tied up the game.

Attendance is 4248 tonight.

[aj0512]

3-2 Guelph with about 3 minutes left >:-O

[aj0512]

3-2 Storm is the final...what a disaster this weekend was.

[eric8199]

I did not agree with the kneeing call on Brodie in the third period. Maybe it was my angle, but it looked like a clean hip-check to me.

The last penalty that the Spirit took, the cross-checking at the end of the game, was never announced in the arena. I thought that was a pretty weak call too, especially at the point it was in the game, it very much cost us a chance at the end.

We all thought they were calling it boarding despite the fact that it happenend about 15 feet from the boards.

What I don't understand: Why do we never get the debatable calls to work in our favor. I swear the refs in this league hate the Spirit. And I'm not just being a home-fan. I know it just seems that way, but it's frustrating. The reffing is pretty terrible in the OHL.

The only call that went our way was the second goal we got, because I'm pretty sure Guelph's goalie had the puck covered and it was never whistled.

Ah well, it was a VERY frustrating game. We played terrible in the second period and it cost us the game.

[spiritfan8]

Very frustrating weekend--played just badly enough to lose three games.
I'm sure the players feel much worse than us.
But no time to think about it. The Soo comes in--AGAIN--on Thursday, and we have to be ready for that one.

[Sparky]

The second goal was right in front of me and McCollum had it covered but a Spirit player poked it loose before the official could blow the whistle.

What about the goal that got disallowed on the 2 on 1 break? It seemd odd that they were calling a penalty on us and we still had controll of the puck? I didn't see it all because it's the exact oppisite of where I sit but it sure looked like a legit goal to me. Anyone one else see it better?

[spiritfan8]

I'm sure there's a reason for why Combs got called for interference on a play that Daniels made a breakout pass to Chappell who passed to McD who scored. A play that frankly I never saw Combs involved in. But not a single person I've talked to seems to know what the reason was. I would have liked to stay for the post-game interviews in the BLC last night, because I would really have liked to know what happened.
Watson didn't seem to go ballistic. But maybe he is just getting used to the Spirit getting a goal or two per game disallowed......

[aj0512]

To make things worse, Guelph beats the Soo tonight 4-3, with former Spirit player Tim Priamo scoring with 16 seconds left in regulation to get the win. Guelph is now 5 points ahead of us for the 7th seed. The Spirit still have a 6 point lead on Owen Sound with 3 games in hand.

[donjohnson]

To help clarify some of the comments in other posts, i'll let you know what I saw from my vantage point:

1) The Combs penalty and disallowed goal...I did not see it but I would assume that he "ran interference" on the 2nd Guelph player trying to get back to cover the 2on1. Not only was the goal a bang/bang play, the penalty was as well. I'm sure in the time it took the ref to see the penalty and raise his arm, the goal had already been scored and the play couldn't be blown dead (which would normally be the case when we touched the puck). BTW, that play dramatically changed (as it should) the momemtum of the game.

2) The Brodie kneeing call...I think it would be hard to justify it as a hip check when the two players were skating face to face. At that point you're either going to have a major body on body check or you're going to stick your leg out slightly to get a guy who's going around you. Someone sitting in the end zones may have had a better view but it was right across from me and it looked like a knee.

3) The Spirit 2nd goal...I had a real clear view of that one and McCollum never really had a "definite" freeze on the puck. That was one of those plays where if the ref is behind the net, he blows it immediately. Instead, since there was only one ref, he was still above the goal line and could see the puck float out of McCollum's glove and the Spirit poked it in.

The Spirit are now involved in one of those darn things called a slump. Luckily for them, they play in a sport where you can hit and be physical and that hard work can lead to a win you may not be supposed to get. Let's see during the 3 home games this week if they do just that and pick up a W.

-donjohnson

[eric8199]

The Spirit haven't hit since October.

I forgot about the Combs penalty/disallowed goal, which did very much change the momentum and the outcome of that game.

It was definitely a frustrating game to watch.

[bpfox]

Just for the record on the Jack Combs penalty. The penalty was called and the whistle blew before the puck even hit Ryan McDonough's stick. It was such a "bang bang" type of play that most folks missed it. There was no doubt in my mind the goal would be waived off and it was the right call. Sorry.

[donjohnson]

did you see the penalty? I was watching the 2on1. Was it, in fact, Combs holding up the defensemen from getting back to cover the odd-man break?

[bpfox]

To be quite honest, I didn't see Jack commit the penalty, but I did hear the whistle prior to Ryan taking his shot. I knew it was going to be a "no goal" situation, but at the moment it happened, I wasn't sure what the penalty was. There was no doubt the penalty was behind the play and the goal never would have counted.